In the past, most of the satellite businesses were controlled by governments, and each satellite cost hundreds of millions of dollars. However, with the advancement of process technology, the cost of satellite parts began to decrease, coupled with the establishment of companies such as SpaceX, which greatly reduced the cost of rocket launches, promoted the commercial development of microsatellites, and promoted more business opportunities.

Although the above-mentioned costs are decreasing, in the space industry, the usable space is limited. For commercial microsatellites, space utilization and weight reduction are extremely important. To minimize the size of the satellite and to lower the launch cost, Tensor Tech has developed Reaction Sphere, a spherical motor technology that can reduce the weight, size, and power consumption of the ADCS by 2/3 compared with the traditional system.

In recent years, due to the rise of the new generation of communication requirements (5G, 6G), low-orbit communication satellites have become a hot emerging industry. Many startups and tech companies have invested a great deal of money and time in the space industry. According to the SSIR21 report, during COVID-19, the global space industry continued to grow. In 2020, the number of satellite launches continued to reach new heights, and the growth rate was extremely fast. 

There are two obstacles for commercial players to enter the space industry: rocket launching costs and satellite building costs. The former has been reduced with the efforts of companies such as SpaceX, and the latter has also been reduced to a very competitive price due to the advancement of electronic circuit technology. However, there is a very critical sub-system on the satellite called the "Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)." Its purpose is to precisely control the angle of the satellite's X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in space. ADCS is composed of components such as motors and coils, so it has physical limitations on its size, weight, and power consumption, which has become the last obstacle to overcome in satellite miniaturization. 

Every satellite in orbit requires precise orientation control along the X, Y, and Z axes. This is the so-called attitude control, which is essential for optical sensing satellites and broadband communication satellites. In most cases, the traditional ADCS needs at least three reaction wheels to control the satellite's attitude, which will take up much space inside the satellite. To minimize the size of the satellite and to lower the launch cost, Tensor Tech has developed Reaction Sphere, a spherical motor technology that can reduce the weight, size, and power consumption of the ADCS by 2/3 compared with the traditional system. At present, Tensor Tech has developed the spherical motor v8, and has applied for and obtained many patents in the design and algorithm of the magnetic field of the spherical motor. 

The spherical motor has 2 degrees of freedom on its mechanical structure. In terms of rotational dynamics, it works like a variable-speed, single-gimbal control moment gyro (CMG). With patented magnetic field design and control methodology, the spherical motor can provide angular momentum and torque in 2 axes. This spherical motor technology can bring your satellite ADCS the same performance but lower weight, volume, and power consumption than the traditional system. 

Satellite players used to build their satellites via contracting all design and integration jobs to a professional company or build the whole satellite by themselves with purchased components. However, the former method usually costs too much, while the latter cannot ensure the system's reliability, and costs too much time in development. As a result, Tensor Tech proposes the integrated attitude determination and control system solution with affordable prices and user-friendly interfaces. By adopting this system, users do not have to program the complicated attitude determination and control algorithms themselves, but can enjoy the quick integration process and instant customer support. 

“Taiwan has the advantages of its semiconductor industry, precision machinery industry, and processing technology. This robust supply chain is the biggest advantage of making satellite parts in Taiwan” says Thomas Yen, co-founder and CEO. Tensor Tech positions itself as a satellite system service supplier, not only providing satellite components, but also providing customers with a total solution, allowing customers to enter the space industry more easily and bringing more players into the space industry.